Here’s another instalment of the aPRAGUEment 101 series for you! This one’s all about a two year check-in of our bedroom and its inevitable makeover into a serene jungle den as I like to call it. I’m talking pieces of second hand furniture, new furniture, Swedish wall art, Czech wall art, living plants, dying plants, a lion on the bed and a leopard on the wall. We literally have it all.
Why a bedroom makeover?
There have been a few key points which lead us to the decision of a bedroom makeover. Firstly (and this was pretty much the key force behind this whole shebang), our bed was too small. Our old bed was originally from IKEA and it travelled across the Channel with me, all the way from Birmingham to Prague. Unfortunately, it’s not common knowledge that beds from IKEA in the UK are a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT size to the ones in the continental Europe (who would have thought, really?!). And because the mattress was some 5+ years old, slightly squeaky and ever so gross, whilst searching for a new one we quickly discovered that you can’t actually buy a new one of this size in this country. Long story short, here we are with this gorgeous 160x200cm rubber-wood bed from Beliani with the comfiest mattress from Czech IKEA which fits perfectly!
Secondly, the room need a fresh coat of paint, like – it really did. I actually don’t think that the landlord had the apartment painted before I moved in. There are lots of little things that are just done in such a shoddy way, don’t even get me started. A fresh lick of paint is always a good idea so bought some super bright white paint and spent one weekend with a paint roller in hand et voila – what a difference such little change makes!
A big bedroom style overhaul
Thirdly, the room needed a style overhaul. It wasn’t horrible the way it was, but it was just the way I threw it together when I moved in two years ago and there was a notable lack of cohesion style-wise. I’ve kept my beautiful DIY faux bone inlay chest of drawers, which is hands down a project I’ve done that I’m the most proud of (you can replicate my efforts by following my faux bone inlay tutorial here). I’ve also kept this 100% cotton percale Morris & Co bedding from Amara which was insanely expensive but has kept up so well over the past 3 years (we use it every second/third week and it washes amazingly, the colours are still so vivid, no fading, no loose threads!). I’ve also kept my old IKEA night stand which I’ve had for over 7 years now (you can’t even tell it’s that old, it’s in perfect condition). I’ve added a few elements of rattan (warms up the room so nicely), some rugs and arty cushions.
Finally, the pieces that really tie the place together are on the wall. Two giant film posters from our favourite movies – Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose and Bergman’s Fanny & Alexander. You can get these posters in a specialty shop in Prague for around £10 a pop. They also sell originals of these posters which are anywhere between £80-£300 depending on the size and the year the film came out in.
And the most gorgeous statement poster from Photowall – it’s this hidden leopard one which I’ve had printed on 100x150cm but had to cut it slightly to fit above the bed. I’ve had posters printed before and even made some myself but this one’s hands down the most beautiful one I’ve had – both in terms of the quality and the image itself. They offer a wiiiiide range of stunning posters you can pick from, you also pick the size and then they print it for you and send it (all the way from Sweden) together with the hanger (they also include a nail and a piece of string so you literally don’t need to get anything else to be able to hang it, which is brilliant). If you’re keen on the hidden leopard as much as me (perhaps because it matches the lion on your bed) but a poster doesn’t cut it for you – you can also choose the same image as a wallpaper or a wall mural (click here for these options).
Discount for your wall art (time-limited!)
Photowall were ever so kind that they provided me with a voucher for this poster and now they’re giving you 25% off your order! Type in cityscapebliss2020 at the check out and enjoy! Thank you Photowall!
Have you done any interior makeovers in your home recently? Share them with me in the comments below!